I am not sure where the story arc is going in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8. We still know very little about the Big Bad in this season and I was hoping to know more in this volume. The third volume of Season 8 reads more like a fan fiction rather than a cohesive volume.

Description: Vampires that, at will, can transform into wolves, panthers, insects, or fog invade the Slayer base of operations in northern Scotland, and not only walk away unscathed, but in possession of Buffy's scythe, the symbol of Slayer power worldwide. Buffy and the Slayer legion travel to Tokyo in order to learn more about their dangerous new foes, as Xander journeys to Transylvania to solicit the only person they've ever known to possess such power: Dracula.

Review: I did not like this volume as much as the first two volumes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 graphic novel series. The overarching story of this volume did not flow and it had no connections to the last volume which dealt with Faith's inner turmoil. Everything in this graphic novel seems like it was slapped on just to make a volume. In addition to the lack of structure, I also had a hard time buying into Buffy and Satsu's relationship. There was no growth to the relationship, but it came across as a fan fiction romance. I'm not sure what plot point it served and I thought it was gratuitous. I did like how their relationship did mirror that of Buffy and Angel in Season 3, but the roles were reversed. Buffy is now in Angel's shoes and Satsu is in Buffy's. There are a few things that I did like in this volume. I did like the setting of Tokyo and the creators putting an effort to diversify the cast of characters. I also really liked the bromance between Dracula and Xander, which brought in humor but also highlighting the depth of the characters and their relationships. Overall this volume was very weak and disappointing.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is implied nudity and sex. There is also some language and strong violence in the graphic novel. Recommended for teens and adult.

If you like this book try: Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4), Fray by Joss Whedon

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